'Children as young as 11 are riding illegal e-bikes'

Seized e-bikes are brought to Eastleigh in Hampshire where they are crushed

Reports of illegal e-bikes being used to commit crimes and a sharp rise in seizures by police have prompted calls for tougher laws.

Figures from police forces in Dorset, Sussex and Surrey show 66 e-bikes were taken off the streets in 2024, compared with six in 2021.

Dorset Police officers have already seized 33 this year, up from 10 in 2024, and said they have stopped riders as young as 11.

In the Thames Valley, 46 e-bikes were seized in June alone.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport described existing regulations governing e-bike use as "strict".

Currently anyone over the age of 14 can ride a legal e-bike, as long as it has pedals, does not travel faster than 15mph, and has an output of no more than 250W.

But police say a large number are being converted to travel faster than 15mph and do not have pedals or brakes.

It is a growing concern for forces, who are upping patrols and trialling new tactics to identify illegal riders involved in anti-social behaviour.

I joined one Dorset Police team on a rainy morning in May, as they patrolled the streets of Poole.

I rode in one of four cars, two marked and two unmarked, with a Poole neighbourhood policing team, looking for individuals who may be behaving anti-socially on e-bikes.

PC Ashley Jacobs told me he recently dealt with an 11-year-old who was part of a group riding e-bikes dangerously.

We pulled into a very quiet housing estate and the officers detained two young people and seized the e-bike they were riding.

Insp Nick Lee said he had seen similar "especially dangerous" models reach speeds of up to 45mph.

"And what we've also now learned from talking to the young people involved and from looking at the bike, is it's got no brakes," he said.

Insp Nick Lee said he was keen to tackle anti-social behaviour on e-bikes and e-scooters

Insp Lee said some of the illegal e-bikes the team were seizing were used to facilitate "acquisitive crime and drug dealing".

As a result, the team are trialling a new spray that can help identify e-bikes used in anti-social incidents.

The SmartTag spray allows them to mark the bikes and the clothing of the rider, so when they do come across them again, they can link them to previous incidents.

"Every can is uniquely identifiable," Insp Lee said.

"We then look to carry out an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for that kind of behaviour."

Julie Whitecross said her Pomeranian Saffi was killed when she was hit by an e-bike rider

Julie and Lee Whitecross have seen the impact of e-bikes being driven illegally.

In February, Mr Whitecross was taking their Pomeranian Saffi for a walk when an e-bike rider hit and killed her.

Mrs Whitecross said her husband heard the electric bike approaching at speed, while their dog was on a nearby grass verge.

"The next minute, Saffi screamed," she said.

"We can only imagine that he's either kicked her as he's gone by or he's turned the bike wheel.

"She just looked up at him for a few seconds and she just died in his arms."

Although the police carried out enquiries after Saffi died, the culprit was never found.

Mrs Whitecross said her husband had found the loss "devastating" and hoped for better education for people riding e-bikes.

"They go at such speed and it's only a matter of time before it's a mother with a child. It could kill someone."

Seized e-bikes are brought to Eastleigh in Hampshire, along with seized e-scooters

Back in Poole, once the e-bikes are seized they are taken to the station where they are collected to be crushed.

They are brought to Eastleigh in Hampshire, along with seized e-scooters.

Insp Lee said: "This is really completing the journey. Our communities don't want these in their community.

"They don't want the antisocial behaviour attached to it, and it's really sending out that message that this is something that we're not gonna tolerate."

PC Ashley Jacobs said: "The impact is a lot of the time we will post on social media about our seizures.

"A lot of the replies will be, you don't do anything about it or you give them back.

"This, today, shows that they're not going back to the people who are riding them."

What is the law on electric bikes?

It is legal to ride an electric bike without a driving licence and they do not need to be registered, taxed or insured.

But they need to meet certain requirements.

E-bikes must have pedals, the motor should not be able to provide power to the wheels when travelling above 15.5mph (25kmph) and it should only be used on cycle paths and roads.

Any bike that travels faster than the limit and has more than a 250-watt output is classed as a motor vehicle and is subject to the Road Traffic Act.

MP for Bournemouth East Tom Hayes said people felt "intimidated" by e-bike riders

Labour MP for Bournemouth East Tom Hayes is calling on the government to introduce mandatory registration and licensing for e-bikes.

Mr Hayes said: "When I'm in my surgery appointments or knocking on doors, people feel intimidated.

"I've heard stories about an elderly couple walking on Southport High Street, being circled by people wearing balaclavas on their illegal e-bikes.

"I'm pleased that we've got 40 additional police officers coming to our communities under government investment.

"I hope that with those police officers on the ground, they're going to be able to catch more of these criminally behaving people."

'Behaviour of individuals'

Police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, said it was "very much about the behaviour of individuals".

He added: "It's not the device per se that is the problem, it's the behaviour of the people who are riding them, that's what we really need to tackle.

"What we need to do is try and change behaviour. There are e-bikes which are not inherently illegal, but they can be modified illegally, even the legal ones can be used in a dangerous or anti-social fashion."

The Department for Transport spokesperson said: "There are already strict regulations for e-bikes, including that their motors mustn't exceed 250 watts and must cut out when the bike reaches 15.5 mph.

"All e-bikes must meet these regulations, and the police have powers to seize e-bikes that aren't compliant."

E-bike motors must not exceed 250W and must cut out when the bike reaches 15.5mph